


Understatement

by mizzmarvel



Category: Baby-Sitters Club - Ann M. Martin
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-22
Updated: 2014-06-22
Packaged: 2018-02-05 16:43:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1825201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizzmarvel/pseuds/mizzmarvel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was the first real time we'd had to spent together in a long time.  Our first real day together as twelve-year-olds.  It was sort of exciting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Understatement

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for settiai for the bsclove ficathon on LJ, May 29, 2005.
> 
> Deals a bit with the events leading to BSC #126, The All-New Mallory Pike, and is set during the following year. Also, I tried to mirror the narration in the style of a BSC book. While this has been done remarkably well by others, this was new for me.

"So," Jessi said, grinning. "Any new cute boys at Riverbend?"

We were sitting side by side on my bed, alone for once in the Pike house, a bowl of popcorn sitting between us. I giggled.

"Jessi, you know there aren't any boys at Riverbend," I laughed. "Let alone _cute_ ones."

"Oh, yeah," she replied, sheepish, but laughing, too. "I guess it's kind of an automatic question."

It was the first day of SMS's summer vacation. I'd been back from my boarding school in Massachusetts for over a week, but since she had been busy finishing up final projects and studying for tests, this was the first real time we'd had to spent together in a long time. Our first real day together as _twelve-year-olds_. It was sort of exciting.

Too bad twelve felt exactly like eleven. Oh well. Thirteen will be different.

"I'll ask a different question," she went on. "How _is_ Riverbend?"

"Well," I said, chewing thoughtfully on a handful of popcorn. I swallowed. "It's really...nice."

"Just nice?"

"Yeah. Nothing really special."

What an understatement. No, what a _lie_. Riverbend was wonderful. I was away from the pressure of stupid _boys_ , and from the jerks at SMS. My classes were all great; even PE was bearable. I had new, great friends, who liked me for _me_ , Mallory. I wasn't just one of the eight Pike kids. I wasn't a member of the BSC, or the brain, or Spaz Girl. Mallory. I had never really been that before.

Except to Jessi.

"How's SMS?"

Now it was her turn to eat some popcorn. She took her time, chewing carefully and swallowing before asking, "Haven't the triplets told you?"

I wrinkled my nose. "About sixth grade stuff. _Baby_ stuff. _Boy_ stuff. Who cares about that?"

She laughed softly. "Well. It's...nice."

I hid a smile. If it was as 'nice' as Riverbend, Jessi was lucky. 

"Just nice?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"You can tell me."

She sighed. "Okay, fine. It's _horrible_."

"What?" I couldn't help saying, completely surprised.

"It's not good here, with you gone," Jessi said in a small voice. "I don't really _have_ anyone. I mean, there's still Kristy and Claudia and all of them, but they're busy with high school stuff now."

"What about the girls at dance class?" I asked slowly.

"They're okay," Jessi answered glumly, looking down as she fiddled absently with her shoelace. "But it's - we're not really _friends_ friends. Not like you and me."

I didn't know what to say to make her feel better. She was right - it wasn't like the kind of friendship we had was easy to find. As far as I was concerned, it _couldn't_ be replicated.

I was still trying to think of a response when she went on, "You know, I even asked Mama and Daddy if _I_ could go to boarding school, too."

"What?" I gasped. "But you'd have to give up ballet to go!"

"That's what _they_ said. And that I'd regret it later. They're right, I guess."

"They _are_ right," I agreed. "A Jessi without ballet just isn't Jessi!"

She managed a small smile. 

"What'd your Aunt Cecilia think about that idea?" I asked.

Jessi suddenly looked more uncomfortable than sad. "Nothing important."

Obviously, she was hiding something. I frowned. "No, really. What'd she say?"

She sighed again, then answered in a low rush, "Aunt Cecilia said that I shouldn't go away because boarding school makes girls lesbians."

"What!" I exclaimed instantly, shocked.

She nodded. "Yup. She said that with no boys around, the girls all practice kissing on each other and get confused. She saw it in a movie."

Now I _really_ didn't know what to say.

"It's...it's not _true_ , is it?" Jessi asked, hesitating, like she knew it was a stupid question, but needed to know for sure.

"No!" I answered automatically.

But then I thought for a minute of the whispered rumors about what certain students at my school liked to do together, behind closed doors. There was also one time when my roommate and I accidentally walked in on two girls kissing _very_ enthusiastically. Not like friends at all.

"Well, maybe _some_ are," I admitted.

Jessi just looked at me, eyebrow raised.

"Not me!" I cried.

"Good," she muttered.

I scowled, my stomach twisting from her comment. "You know, after all you've went through, dealing with racists here in Stoneybrook, you'd be the _last_ person I'd expect to say something _prejudiced_."

She stared at me blankly before comprehension dawned on her face.

"That's not what I meant!" she exclaimed.

"Then what _did_ you mean? Sounds like you have a problem with - "

"You kissing _anybody_ ," she finished.

A thousand years must have gone by while I put together all the meanings in that sentence.

"Oh," I said, flushing. 

Understanding. 

"You mean, you - ?"

"I really miss you, Mallory," Jessi told me, in the smallest voice I'd ever heard.

"I guess you do," I agreed, and she cringed. I hadn't meant it to sound sarcastic. I didn't _feel_ sarcastic.

Jessi crawled off my bed hurriedly, tipping over the bowl of popcorn as she went, but she paid it no attention.

"I should go," she said, heading for the door.

"Jessi."

She took the knob and turned it.

"Jessi!" 

I hopped off my bed, scattering more popcorn as I went, and rushed to her side. I put my hand over hers on the knob, and held it there firmly.

"I'm sorry," I said.

Her eyes were downcast. She didn't say anything.

"I miss you, too," I went on, not really knowing where I was going with this. "All the time. Even when I'm _here_. I - "

We just stared at each other for a minute.

"Boarding school doesn't make all girls lesbians," I said finally, softly.

"I know," Jessi answered, and she leaned in to kiss me.

It wasn't a big, sloppy, wet kiss, like in the movies, and I knew that someone like Stacey McGill wouldn't even consider it a _real_ one, since we just pressed lips to lips. But it was soft, warm, sweet, electric all at once, just that little kiss.

And that was enough.

We pulled away finally. I didn't really know what to do or say after such a moment, after kissing my best friend. I decided to follow my instincts.

"Wow," we both breathed, awed.

Then we had to hook pinkies and say "jinx."


End file.
